Method of and apparatus for delivering submarine torpedoes from airships.



D. A. I'LBB. IBTHOD 0F 'AND APPARATUS POR DBLIYEBING BUBIABINB TOBPBDOEB PROM AIRBHIPB.

APPLIOATIOI FILED APL, 101i.

'Patented July 16, 1912.

mum? au 1 a floating ltarget.

. falls horizontall -of this type usually have arotrding ever I-I wliichl when operated,s

UNITED.' STATES. PATENT' OFFICE. maenner A. man, orr'rm UNITED armas iuv'z. i

METHOD or .um Prunus ron. nnuviinnte suiamnm 'roaranons Enom To all whom it ma concern."

Be it known t at I BRADLEY A. Freni, of the United States avy, a citizen of the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of and Ap nratus for Delivering Submarine Torpe( oes from Airsliips, of which the following is n specification. v

lhe invention isa method of and apparatus for directin and delivering the attack of a selfpropelle submarine torpedo upon In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 illustrates my apparatus for susportin the torpedo upon an aeroplane an forV re easingtliersame therefrom, after the motor mechanism thereof has been started. Figs. 2 and 3 'are enlar ed'end and sidelviews of said apparatus. ig. 4 shows the torpedo directed upon its targetv and falling by gravity after its release, from the areoplane to the water.

Similar letters bf reference indicate lik parts.

I carry out my methodpreferably in the following way and by the following means The tor edo A, which may be of the well 'known Vhitehead or fish type is disiose'd lower rame in checks B on the bottomor of the air-ship 0,) preferably a swift flyin aero lane. A strap `D connected at one en to t e shi passes below the torpedo, and is provide at its other end with a rin received upon a pivoted latch E. A nd lever E on the' air-ship Vis rovided'wit a roection G which norma 1y enga es the atc i E. 'In this manner, the to e o is retained s spended in the chocks in rigid positie with its bow pointingin thelsame direction as that of the air-ship. To. edos arts the propelling mecvanism.V Connects b link with lever F is a Vivoted lever which has a toe Jl suitably l:lllaced to operate said starting lever H. e timing of the mechanism is to be such that when the hand lever F is moved by the aviator the starting lever H ofthe torpedo is first actuated see Fig. 8) to start the 1Jropellin mechanism, and then the latch is free so that the ring on strap D' isreleasecL.I he tor edolthen out ofthe choc B and into the water. n'direqting and deliverin the attack upon the ioating target indicate l'peemeatton of iettors ratent. Application ldlpl 19, 1913. 30ml 4It). 890,271.

Patented July 16, 1912.

at Kin-Fi 1, the aviator flies at a comaratively i h elevation to a point about 500 yards rom said target. jHe then swoo s downwardly as rapidly and as near y vertically as possible until within ten or fifteen feet of the water, meantime di- 'rectin his flight so that on reaching the desired ow elevation the bow of the torpedo bears on the target. He then throws his lever FJ thus first starting the propelling mechanism and then 'releasing the torpedo, so that it falls to the water, and thereafter performs its work in the usual way.

The advantages of the construction here shown are that the torpedo is firmly held to the air-ship, and practically becomes a art of it, so that the directing of the ship Oward the tar t also directs tlie"torpedo- It is suspende in the position which it Vassumes in the water-that is, horizontaland retains that position after it is released. The releasing device' is instantly controllable bythe aviator and automatically starts .thepropelling mechanism in 'advance of freeing the torpedo.

.The advantage of approaching the target at a relativelyhigh elevation and then s'wootpling down to a low one before releasing e torpedo, is that, if the tar et be an enemys war vessel it is practical y imposlsible with present guns to hit an object swiftly falling from a height, owin to the rapid resulting change iii ran e an consequent ele'vation of the guns. e advantage of roceeding to a point within some 1500 yar s ofthe enemy is to increase the chances of the torpedo etting home, and also to enable the air-s i 4to carry torpedoes of enA lighter weight, since torpedoes designed foru long ranges are 4necessaril much heavier than those intended for s ort. ranges. A number of swift aeroplanes, each carrying a light torpedo effective at 1500 yards, might beeven mpre "formidable than a large miichine specially built to transport a torpedo effective at 5000 yards.

I claim:

1. The method of directin and delivering the attack of a self-prope ed submarine torpedo upon a floating target, which consists, first, in transporting said torpedo through the air to a point of desired prox imity to'said target lsecond, training said' torpedo in the desire direction, third, stuiting the propelling mechanism of said torarsl A pedo and, fourth, releasing seid torpedo to gravity to the water. 1 l

2. he methodof directig" and delivering the attack of a self-propoli submarine torgedo upon a floating tsariet, which' consiste,

rst, in trsnsporting .to do through the air over a pathof relative tion to the vicinity vof eald tar sweeping downward to a,point c low elevation and tralnirig seid to o i the deelreddireetion, thi starting e propeiling mechanism o! leid ,tordm and, ourth, releasing. said torpedo fall by gravity to the water.

.3. In combinationwith an air-ship, a tor- Eedo of the self-propell t, second,

ed submarine v,

ving an externail-controllable' device or starting the propel mechanism' of said torpedo, mehns or below said and, on said ship,means for operating sai starting device and means ru: relea said retaining means.

. In com ination with an air ship, a torpedo of the self-propelled submarine type,

'ally contro a y high eleva' relatively' gaining said torpedo s the pro n mechanism of said to 0,.,mear'ia or re ainin saidtorpedo below eaid ig and, on sai ship, -a manule lever and .transmitting mechanism actuated b said lever, rst, to operate said hlgan externall controllable device for means. 6.`In combination with an airehip, s wrdo of the eeltropelled submarine type, aving an external -oontrollable device or atartin ita pro el ing mechanism, ohocks for sai torpedo low saidshi ,a strep for retaining said to o in said ocks, a etch for said strapl, an ,-on said ship, a manuatlcli control1ab1`e ever for releasing said 1a and transmitting mechanism' actuated iby sad lever for operating said startin device.

liiltestimony wher'eof Ivhave a signature in .presence of two, witnesses. A

BRADLEY A. FISKE.

, starting evice, and, second, to -releaae said retaining 

